3. Grammar Girl explained how to pluralise surnames [3a, 3b]. Important info at this greeting card writing time of the year.

4. Nutrition Diva expounded the benefits of nuts, and also peanuts (which, she said, are legumes and not nuts) [4]. I love peanuts even more now.

5. the Australian Government announced subsidisation of nicotine patches to help smokers kick the addiction [5a]. Good move. The recently released 30th US Surgeon General’s report on smoking documents smoking’s continuing scourge [5b],

6. a treehugger item explained that if 66% of the UK’s shops closed their doors, carbon emission savings would equate to 1.1M fewer cars [6]. I bet they don’t, but.

7. an MJA paper concluded sheepskins are an effective method of bedsore prevention [7]. I wonder if this is the reason the sheepskin price has risen lately.

8. on a sadder note, the floods in south eastern Australia have drowned many southern hairy-nosed wombats in their burrows [8a]. What a tragedy. Southern hairy nosed wombats are a listed endangered species [8b].

I am 64 years old, a sheep and goat farmer, and a consultant physician. Farmdoc's Blog is a reflective narrative of my past life; my present life as a farmer, doctor, relative and friend; and my life as a citizen of Mole Creek, Tasmania, Australia and Planet Earth.